It was one of those runs that was hard to wrap my head around.
During a magical month last year, then 17-year-old Mila Andreeva won back-to-back WTA 1000 titles with 12 consecutive wins in Dubai and Indian Wells, vaulted her to sixth place in the PIF WTA rankings and established herself as a legitimate star on the Mercedes-Benz-powered WTA Tour.
She played solid tennis for the rest of the year, including appearances in the French Open and Wimbledon quarterfinals, but fell to Saturn with 22 wins and 13 losses after the Indian Wells match, and was unable to win another title. She also missed out on qualifying for the WTA Finals after appearing to be in a shootout earlier this year.
It was unreasonable to expect Andreeva to continue winning at that pace throughout the season, and understandably it was difficult for her to face this reality.
But a year older and wiser, she took that lesson to heart and helped her change her mindset. Reaching the top and staying there is a process, and that process doesn’t happen overnight or over a year.
“These wins gave me a lot of confidence to get through the season,” she said after her 6-3, 6-1 win over Marie Bouzkova in Adelaide. “But at the same time, I felt like I was putting pressure on myself. I expected to be able to play at the same level all year, and now I realize that wasn’t really possible.”
“We’re human, so it’s okay if sometimes things don’t work out or don’t go the way we want them to. Last year everything was new to me, so I was still learning how to accept it and move on from it. But it was a very good experience for me to go through that. We also didn’t get to win, but then win the title. It was a good learning experience.”
In the offseason, a rare moment to recharge and reset, Andreeva had the chance to speak to a psychologist about the pressure he faced last year and how he balances that with his desire to keep pushing. She also discussed this delicate balance with coach Conchita Martinez, a former Coach of the Year as well as an 18-year WTA Tour pro and Wimbledon champion who provides valuable perspective.
Andreeva, currently in eighth place, will face a tough battle in the rankings in February and March as she has so many points to defend in Dubai and Indian Wells, but she is not too worried about that. The goal is to tune out the noise and just focus on her game, one game at a time.
“I just take it one day at a time and practice and get better,” she said. “I’ll do everything I can to become a better player and a better person. I like the work I’ve been doing with Conchita. I’m trying to be aggressive, go for my shots, and not be afraid to make mistakes and maintain my level.”
“Be smart and make the right decisions. And tonight [against Bouzkova] I was very happy to see the pieces we were working on. I have so much energy right now. This match gave me a lot of confidence. ”
Andreeva was in complete control from start to finish against Bouzkova, converting five of seven break points in a match that lasted just over an hour, winning more than 75 percent of her first serve points and dropping just four games.
She will face Maya Joynt or Ajla Tomljanovic in the quarter-finals, but she is now 3-1 this season after reaching the quarter-finals in Brisbane last week.
All eyes will be on Andreeva at next week’s Australian Open. She has reached the fourth round in each of the past two years and is expected to make a run for the title.
Heading into her first tournament of the year, she’s focused on trusting her game and the process.
“I just have to keep believing in myself,” Andreeva said. “I have to keep that mindset because I know that if I do the right things on and off the court, it’s only a matter of time before the right things start happening. That’s what Conchita always tells me, and it’s comforting to hear those words.”
“Conchita said it would happen sooner or later, and I chose to believe her.”